CHERYL’S CROCKPOT ITALIAN ROAST BEEF

1 rump roast, 3 - 5 pounds
2 packages Good Seasons Italian Dressing (1 zesty and 1 plain)
1 16 ounce jar pepporoncini peppers (DO NOT DRAIN!)
2 cups boiled water with 2 tsp. beef base dissolved in it
2 dozen Hard rolls

Directions:

Put meat in slow cooker.

Season and rub the dressing mix over all sides of the meat.

Add pepporoncini with all of its liquid to crockpot.

Pour water with beef base over meat.

High cook for 6 to 8 hours, reduce to low cook if evaporating too quickly.

Remove meat to a pan and carefully shred it.

Remove peppers and set aside in a bowl…don’t discard all.

Return shredded meat to liquid in crockpot and serve with rolls.

CHERYL'S BAKED PINEAPPLE CASSSEROLE

12 slices day-old bread (any kind), torn into tiny bite size pieces
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
6 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
grated zest from one lemon
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 x 20 oz. cans of crushed pineapple - drain off 1/4 cup each can

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 glass baking dish.

In a large bowl, tear the bread into tiny pieces.

In a medium glass bowl, soften butter in microwave. Cream sugar into butter with a fork. Add beaten eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and pineapple to butter-sugar mixture.

Pour all the medium glass ingredients into the large glass bowl of bread pieces. Stir until combined.

Pour everything into prepared greased baking dish. Bake covered with foil for one hour or until heated through. Serve!

VAL'S EASY PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE ECLAIR DESSERT

Prep Time: 30 min
Ready In: 8 hr 30 min
Serves: 24 servings, one piece each

Ingredients
1-3/4 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
24 HONEY MAID Honey Grahams
6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
3 Tbsp. butter

Preparation
POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Add peanut butter; mix well. Gently stir in whipped topping. Layer one-third of the grahams and half of the pudding mixture in 13x9-inch dish, breaking grahams as necessary to fit. Repeat layers. Top with remaining grahams.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min., stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Spread immediately over grahams.

REFRIGERATE at least 8 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

CHERYL'S BBQ SHRIMP

FOR CREOLE SEASONING
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup Hungarian sweet paprika
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves, finely crushed (optional)

FOR SEASONED BUTTER
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp paprika
¼ bunch parsley, minced
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp white pepper
2 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb. unsalted butter, softened

FOR SHRIMP
15 – 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 to 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch chopped green onions

French bread for serving

Directions.....

MAKE THE CREOLE SEASONING: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. This makes about 2/3 cup. Reserve 1 – 2 Tbsp for this recipe and store the rest in a covered container for another time.

MAKE THE SEASONED BUTTER: Combine and process all ingredients, but not the butter, in a food processor. Place this mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add butter a little bit at a time, beating at low speed until well mixed. Chill covered in refrigerator. Divide butter into 2 or 3 chunks. Reserve one chunk for this recipe and freeze the others for another time.

PREPARE THE SHRIMP: Heat a large skillet over high heat; add oil. While pan is heating, toss and season shrimp liberally with the Creole Seasoning before adding shrimp to the skillet.
DO NOT MOVE SHRIMP FOR 30 - 40 SECONDS! Then stir the shrimp constantly until cooked through, about 2 minutes time. Add the Worcestershire and green onions, and then remove promptly from the heat. Add the Seasoned Butter chunk a little at a time, stirring quickly as you add the butter.

Serves 4 or 5 per serving. Use hot French Bread to soak up the sauce.

CHERYL'S RUM CAKE

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 package yellow moist cake mix
1 package butterscotch instant pudding
2 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup rum

Mix all cake ingredients, pour batter into a buttered bundt pan, and follow the baking instructions on cake mix box. Allow cake to cool in pan at least 10 minutes, then remove from pan onto broil-safe plate or foil lined cookie sheet . Cool cake completely. Top with sifted powder sugar or do glaze recipe below.


GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
Sliced almonds (optional)

Mix glaze ingredients and spread over the cake top. Put cake under Hi Broil until glaze is bubbly and drips down sides of cake (takes only a minute so). Remove cake and cool.

Serves 12 or more.

CHERYL'S FRUIT SALAD

1 pear, peeled and sliced into chunks
1 apple, peeled and sliced into chunks
1/2 lemon, fresh squeezed and mixed with 1 cup water
2 kiwi, peeled and sliced
red and green grapes, halved
1 orange, peeled and sliced into chunks
maraschino cherries, halved
jar cling peaches, sliced into chunks
blueberries
strawberries, hulled and halved
bananas, peeled and sliced into chunks
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice (reserve juice for sauce)

Note: Quickly dunk pear and apple chunks in lemon water to retard browning. Drain and discard lemon water. Combine pear and apple chunks with the remaining fruit in a large bowl.

FRUIT DRESSING
Juice from pineapple can
½ cup peach preserves (or orange marmalade)
1 package of instant vanilla pudding
…Combine above in a small mixing bowl, beat 2 minutes. Drizzle over fruit and toss gently to coat with dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

VAL'S HERSHEY'S BEST LOVED CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust (Recipe follows)

Quick Chocolate Drizzle (recipe follows)

3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs

1. Prepare Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust. Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; beat until blended. Beat in cocoa and flour. Add eggs, one at a time; beat just until blended. Pour into crust.

3. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees; continue baking 40 minutes. Remove from oven to wire rack. With a knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. Prepare Quick Chocolate Drizzle; drizzle over top. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours. Store covered in refrigerator.

Quick Chocolate Crumb Crust:

Combine 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine; press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Quick Chocolate Drizzle:

Place 1/2 cup Hershey's semi-sweet chocolate chips and 2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine, or oil) in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted.

CHERYL'S GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH MUSTARD MAYONNAISE SAUCE

Serves 4

MEAT DIRECTIONS:
1 to 1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Minced garlic

...Rub enough olive oil and garlic to coat the tenderloin meat, Generously add salt and pepper to meat; do this ahead of time and chill covered overnight. Remove the meat and grill about 15 to 20 minutes, turning frequently, or until done as desired. Remove to a platter and tent with foil for 10 minutes prior to slicing.

SAUCE:
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
¼ Tsp. Sea salt
1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar

...In a food processor, blender, or bowl with whisk, combine egg yolks and mustard and salt. With machine running, slowly dribble in about ¼ cup olive oil and allow mixture to thicken. Add the remaining oil more rapidly until sauce is thickened. If too thick, whisk in a few drops of hot water. Stir in rice vinegar and add more salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

TO SERVE:
Optional capers

... Slice the tenderloins diagonally into ½ to ¾ inch thickness. Arrange a few slices on each of 4 dinner plates. Top with some mustard mayonnaise sauce and garnish with a few capers, if desired.

CHERYL’S SPINACH – ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

4 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup butter, divided ( ¼ cup and ½ cup )
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided ( 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup )
1 (8 ½ ounce) can artichokes, drained and cut up
3 medium tomatoes ( or use 6 Roma plum tomatoes), sliced
2/3 cup fresh French bread crumbs


Directions:

Cook spinach according to package directions; drain. Sauté mushrooms in ¼ cup butter. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese; stir in spinach, mushrooms and artichokes. Turn mixture into a buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch casserole pan or dish. Arrange tomato slices across the top. Melt the remaining ½ cup butter and add to a small bowl containing the breadcrumbs and remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the casserole.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes or until breadcrumbs appear lightly browned.

Yields 10 –12 servings.

(* This casserole can be made in advance prior to baking).

CHERYL'S CHICKEN-ORZO-SPINACH CRISIS CASSEROLE

4 skinned and boned chicken breasts halved
2/3 cup uncooked orzo
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
Vegetable cooking spray
1 (10 ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (10 ½ ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

Boil chicken in enough water to cover in a large Dutch oven for 12 minutes or until done. Remove chicken, reserving broth. Chop chicken and set aside.

Cook orzo in reserved broth according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Sauté mushrooms until tender in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Remove from heat. Stir in chicken, pasta, spinach, and next 4 ingredients. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


MAKE AHEAD TIPS:

Refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator one hour prior to baking.

May freeze. Thaw, and then proceed to cook as above.